Despite the recent rise in popularity and use of document sharing and collaboration platforms, such as OneDrive®, GoogleDocs®, and Dropbox®, there still exist circumstances where such file-sharing platforms are inadequate. Within large organizations, for example, directory permissions may present obstacles to file sharing in certain circumstances. When, for example, document permissions are fixed by workgroup, it can be burdensome for users in one workgroup to determine how to enable file sharing with one or more users in another workgroup with different permissions. Consequently, it remains commonplace to share files through more traditional means—such as by placing a file on a portable storage device (e.g., a USB stick, disk, or portable drive) and physically delivering the portable storage device to a recipient who may then copy the select file to his or her computer.
These in-person file transfers are further complicated by the requisite presence of both the file-sharer and the file-recipient in a same physical location to securely complete such a transfer. If, for example, a file-sharer walks into the office of a co-worker who has left for lunch and locked his or her computer, the file-sharer may have to return at a later time or risk leaving sensitive information (e.g., the USB stick) in an unsecure location where stored information could be viewed and/or misappropriated by an unauthorized recipient.